The move comes as little surprise. The Titans have been trying to trade Johnson for a few weeks, and his release suggests there was little interest on the trade market. Johnson was set to count $8 million against the cap in 2014, a figure that certainly hurt his trade value. He reportedly said he would not re-negotiate his deal in Tennessee.

“As an organization, we want to thank Chris for his contributions to the Titans," GM Ruston Webster said in a statement. "Chris produced many memorable moments, broke franchise records and was durable over his six year career with our team. … We made an effort to trade Chris but were unable to do so.

"We wish Chris the best and thank him for the six seasons he spent with us.”